Hyaluronic Acid-Based Materials for Biomedical Applications

The vital biological functions of hyaluronic acid in vivo has resulted in extensive investigation into its biomedical application. This thesis reports the biomedical applications of a range of innovative hyaluronic acid-based hydrogels, from material design and creation optimisation to relevant application. A comprehensive review of recent and ongoing research concerning hyaluronic acid-based hydrogels and their deployment within biomaterial research is presented. The research conducted features four subjects; (1) the synthesis, characterisation, and application of a redox-responsive hyaluronic acid-based hydrogel for chronic wound management, (2) hydrogen phosphate-mediated acellular biomineralisation within a dual crosslinked hyaluronic acid hydrogel,. (3) the facile and additive-free synthesis of a cell-friendly Iron(III)-Glutathione Complex that enhanced L929 cell growth after 7 days and reduced matrix metalloproteinase-13 activity, demonstrating promising application in osteoarthritis treatment, (4) An injectable, self-healing and MMP-inhibiting hyaluronic acid gel formed via crosslinking with the aforementioned iron-glutathione complex. The original materials reported provide the basis for the development of numerous HA-based hydrogels that have potential significance in a range of biomedical fields including the assessment of glutathione levels in chronic wounds and cancer tissue, scaffolds for tissue regeneration, and therapy for osteoarthritis treatment.